This invention relates to a drive arrangement. More specifically, but not exclusively, this invention relates to a drive arrangement utilizing hybrid power for vehicles and having regenerative braking and engine optimization capabilities.
The reduction of exhaust emissions and the reduction of fuel consumption is becoming a global priority, as carbon based fuel reserves dwindle. Many alternative transmission and drive arrangement concepts have been proposed in furtherance of these objectives.
Some well-known concepts are that of regenerative braking and engine optimization. Vehicles having regenerative braking are equipped with an energy storage device for capturing and storing energy that would normally be released as heat from normal braking and dissipate into the atmosphere. Engine optimization is the concept to use the engine only in certain predetermined modes where the engine operates more efficiently and either to store any excess energy produced by the engine by some means, such as batteries or hydraulic pressure and then to use the stored energy during periods where the engine is not in use. One well-known regenerative braking system is to use an electrical motor generator system to brake a vehicle, either instead of or together with conventional brakes. The generator creates electricity and charges up a battery while it is used to slow the vehicle down. The charged battery is then used to drive electric motor(s) to power the drive train of the vehicle again. The same concept can be used for engine optimization where the electric generator is used to store engine energy and then this energy is used during periods when the engine is not used.